Shared Sacrifice

Tomorrow President Bush will visit the Midwest to see first hand the damage from flooding in Iowa. I commend him for doing so, as the destruction is pretty massive and is worthy of national attention.

It's customary and often necessary for governors and presidents to tour areas hits by natural disasters; it gives them first-hand view of the damage, and it shows that they care enough about what's going on. As we all know, President Bush and the federal government received a lot of flak for their response to Hurricane Katrina.

I would like to see our leaders take things one step further and engage in some activity to show the public that "I'm in this with you." Actions speak louder than words, so wouldn't it be great to see a governor roll up his or her sleeves for an hour and help sandbag a home, or help hand out food to flood victims and recovery workers? I know they all have busy schedules, but I think there would be no greater photo op than to see the head of your state or country sharing the load with his or her fellow citizens. It's times like these that we put our differences aside and come together to help each other, and whether you're a Democrat or Republican, everyone can relate to shared sacrifice.

And it doesn't have to take a natural disaster to bring about the concept of shared sacrifice. During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson used sheep to cut the White House lawn so that he could save money on groundskeepers. And, the wool from those sheep would then go to clothing for the soldiers.

We haven't really seen anything like that during this current war. Our leaders have not asked us to make any real sacrifices here at home, while troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are risking their lives to make sure our country stays free. We've just been told to spend spend spend, and the result is now many of us are in debt.

Given our current energy crisis, I've thought of some things our politicians in Washington and Madison can do to lead by example and show that they care. First, I would get rid of the motorcades of SUVs. Couldn't the same thing be accomplished in smaller, fuel-efficient (or even hybrid) cars? The head of the Conservative Party in the UK, David Cameron, caused a stir when he biked to work one day. I know there are security concerns, but you get the idea.

Second, they could follow the advice of our parents and turn off the lights. Sure, the state capitol looks brilliant at night when it's lit up, but how much does that cost per night in electricity? If our state leaders really cared, maybe they'd come up with a plan to turn off the lights a few nights each month and save a little on energy.

These are just a few of the examples our leaders can set by showing they're willing to give up a little comfort for the public good. And it doesn't matter which party you belong to - everyone can appreciate seeing politicians acting as if they're "one of us."

I should post more

Wow, it's been about 9 months since I've posted anything. A lot has changed since August. First off, I'm engaged and plan to get married in the summer of 2010. Working such weird hours for the morning show has really tested our relationship, because I have to balance sleeping time with quality time with Kristin. But, that's about to change in August.

That's because I'm going back to school in the fall for my master's degree. I'll be attending the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison. I'm very excited to get back to a normal schedule, though a little nervous since I've been out of school for a couple years. I plan to study Environmental and Energy Policy, but have some interest in studying Poverty Policy as well.

Of course, this means I will no longer be working at NBC 15 or in the news business. There's some good and bad in this. I've really come to like the people I work with, so that will be tough to not see the people I'm used to seeing every day. And I am a news junkie, so I won't be as immersed in the day-to-day happenings in the world.

However, there's also a feeling of relief that once I quit my job, I won't have to worry that I missed something important happening in the world for a day. It's tough to take a couple days off (or a week for that matter) and not feel like you have to play catch up once you get back to work. If and when I take vacations, I can concentrate less on what I'm missing and more on relaxing.

Also, the daily stress of the job and my graveyard shift are taking their toll. As the morning show producer, I'm responsible for two hours' worth of content, though many of our stories repeat each hour. But lately it seems I'm becoming responsible for more things on the show with less help.

My boss has been making a lot of small changes to the show to make things a little more fresh. While most of them are understandable and good changes, they also add to my workload. At the same time, our station is cutting back on employees, and now two days a week I don't have an assistant producer to help with scripts. The anchors have stepped in to help, but they have to leave early before the show to get themselves ready.

The problem for me with my job is that the best way for me to feel motivated is to feel that deadline pressure; but when there are so many things to do for a two-hour show, that pressure can really mount in the last hour before the show. So when there's breaking news or something else that disrupts my normal schedule and puts me behind, it can really get stressful.

Things might have been better if I had waited for one of the night shows, and had I not decided to go back to grad school I would have become the 10 pm producer this summer. But, that would have made things worse in my personal life, because I would hardly see my fiancee during the week. And considering that many newsrooms are cutting back in these tough economic times, I don't think a move to nightside would have given me much of a raise. Plus, I always knew I'd be going back to school, and I think this is the best time given the current economic climate.

I think that my return to a normal schedule will give me a chance to write more to this blog. I think I'll start writing some critiques this summer about the current news media, now that I don't have to worry about job security. Once the school year starts, I might focus more on politics and environmental issues, plus weigh in on the presidential campaign.

Life update

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted to this. I've been so busy with my job and personal life that this is the first time I've been able to sit down and just write on my own.

As predicted in a previous post, many people did leave the station within the last few months. Not all of them were exactly because they hated working there; anchor Becky Hillier, for example, left because her husband took a job in Alaska.

So we have a lot of fresh faces, including the news director, but I think we have a good bunch of people. I feel like there was a sense of despair in the newsroom when our previous news director left, but now that some negative elements are gone, that feeling is no longer there.

Our new news director comes from Detroit, which is good because he has a real knowledge of what a high-level newscast is supposed to be like. He's really good at challenging people to think outside the box, and he's brought a lot of fresh ideas to the table. And, for the first time, I'm actually getting real feedback on how I'm doing on my newscasts. It's crazy.

Speaking of my newscasts, I am now producer of the Morning Show on Monday through Friday. That little change occurred at the beginning of July, when two producers left within a matter of a couple weeks. We already knew one of those producers was leaving several months before, and I had known for quite awhile that I'd be getting a promotion once she left, but we didn't know exactly when.

As far as the job goes, I'm still working overnight (11pm-8am), but I'm definitely liking the hours more than my previous position. There's more writing involved, and so far it's been a little stressful trying to get everything in on time. It didn't help that I didn't have an associate producer two days out of the week and had to stay for at least ten hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays. But now that I do have help on those days, things are looking a little brighter.

I do miss the format of my old show, though. And it takes some adjustment to get used to what the weekday anchors like and expect compared to the weekend anchors.

I think the stress will go away with time, once I get into a groove and do a better job with time management. Almost all the time my shows are looking good once they hit the airwaves, but it's those moments leading up to that deadline that really get my heart pumping and make me worry if it will all come together. Creating two hours worth of a show is a tough task, and I think I have high standards that make it even tougher but better at the same time.

I still don't think I'll be doing this for the rest of my life, and right now I still plan to go back to school in '08. I am a little worried about my financial situation if I go back to school, but I may be able to get a teaching or research assistant job when I go back. Plus, my financial situation will improve in the long term once I complete my degree program. I still don't quite know what I'll be doing, but I plan to apply to both the journalism school and the school of public affairs at UW-Madison and see which one will fit my needs better.

I'm not really concerned about getting in; my biggest concern right now is finding time to prepare my application. I've yet to take the GRE test, and have trouble finding time to study for it. Usually when I'm done with work, I'm kind of burnt out and don't really want to think about much. And most of my evenings I spend with my girlfriend or other friends, so I don't have that much alone time to just sit and think.

I look forward though to getting back to a somewhat normal schedule, and I know that I'll do well in school and will be working toward my eventual goal of being a professor.

Exodus update

I realize I haven't updated this in a long time, but I really haven't felt like writing anything compelling lately.

Anyhoo, since my last posting, our news director has left, and a new one should be in place about mid-April. Our chief photographer has temporarily taken over the news director duties, and he's been doing a pretty good job so far.

However, a few people have left or are now on their way out. Two reporters (an engaged couple) are on their way to the Twin Cities to take different jobs, and our weekend sports guy is going back to Wausau to be the sports director there. I'll miss them all, but the departure of the two reporters has been both a blessing and a burden for me. Here's why:

First, the blessing: Their departure opened up their two-bedroom apartment, and because they needed someone to fill it to get out of their lease, I decided to take it. So that means I'll be moving in just a couple weeks, and have a place for myself with one other roommate. I am still looking for a roommate, so if any of you know anyone needing a roommate, please let me know. I've already looked at the apartment, and it's in a nice area. I'll actually be saving money on rent, but my guess is that a lot of the expenses that are included in the place I'm living at now will add up to make the difference. Still, I can't wait to have a place that's more for myself, plus it has a pool and gas grills in the back common area, so you know where the parties are gonna be at this summer.

Now, the burden: The departure of these two means that someone has to fill their slot as nightside reporters during the week until new reporters can be hired. And that means our weekend live reporter has to move to that spot. This really kills a big element of my show; it is, after all, called "The Morning Show Weekend Live." And having that live element to the show really adds a lot of fun to the newscast, especially regarding the banter between the anchors.

So, for now, our reporter will try to tape live reports in advance so we still have some sort of "in-the-field" element. Otherwise, we'll have the in-studio anchors ask the live guests the questions. But I already know it won't have the same liveliness without the cross-talk between the reporter and the anchors. And there's a certain spontaneity with having a live reporter who can go out there and see what an event is about that will be lacking. As far as I know, this is only temporary until the news director hires new reporters. But, this may take awhile as our new news director will have to get a little settled in first.

As for me, I remain committed to the show for the time being. I have a lot of fun with this group of people, and I can tell it's become a successful and smooth newscast - in some ways better than the weekday morning show. I think we've really hit our stride, and I was able to take my first Saturday off last weekend without any disruptions. However, if there's an opportunity to move up in the newsroom, I feel like I'm going to have to take it, just for the sake of my schedule and earnings. Taking my first weekend newscast off makes me confident that someone can take the reins from me in the event that I am sick or have to move on to something different.

Finding a voice

I've come to notice something with the whole producing thing that's been slightly bothering me as of late. Basically, it's that all my writing is read by other people. There's nothing wrong with that, and I knew that when I took the job.

I guess my problem is that when I write, I write in my own voice. But my voice isn't the voice of the anchor. And the anchors for the most part read what I write. They do look over each script and make changes as necessary to fit their voice, but most of the time the guts of the script are the same.

A few times, mostly for teases and intros, the anchors won't look the scripts over, and when they see them in the teleprompter and don't like what they see, they try to ad lib, which can come off well or sometimes disastrously. And sometimes I think, "why didn't they just say what I wrote?" It's because they wouldn't say something like that.

So, my options are to write as generic as possible, or try to write as if the anchor was speaking. I know I'm still young and still haven't mastered the broadcast style. But in a way this also stymies creativity in vocabulary, because what may sound good in my mind might not work if someone else says it.

Example: Today I was writing a tease for the Anna Nicole Smith story, and I thought a good word to describe her life was tumultuous. The tease would be something like "The tumultuous life of Anna Nicole Smith comes to an end." However, I was discouraged from using this, as it's not really conversational, and most anchors wouldn't say it. Fine, I thought, I figured that wouldn't work. I then thought of turbulent as a word to describe her life. Well, maybe, but we settled on "tragic." Which does describe her life, but it doesn't carry exactly the same meaning as "tumultuous" or "turbulent."

So, the key is to be creative and "sexy" without using any big words, and in only one sentence or two. It's probably the one thing that still plagues me as a writer. It's hard to describe, but it has a lot to do with pacing and word play. And up to this point, there's never really been anything "sexy" about my writing, even though I can tell a story very well.

Maybe I just need more time in the biz to figure out what works and what doesn't. But part of me also feels limited in what I can write, because my voice is getting a little lost in the mix. Sometimes I wonder if writing for print would bring my voice out better, or if I would be satisfied by being a reporter, because I could speak on the air what I write.

Maybe that's why I like writing on my blog. It's not just a therapeutic way to bring out my thoughts and feelings. It's also a way to express myself in writing that's completely me, in my voice. Maybe I'm being selfish in my pursuits, but it feels good to have that byline sometimes with your writing.

Another thing that's related to this, is that I like to sit and ponder before I write, and in this business, you don't really have time to do that. And so I often feel that the writing I do for my job really isn't my best work. But then again, I probably would be less motivated if I didn't have time constraints.

In the end, maybe this is all nitpicky stuff that I really shouldn't worry about. But my mind likes to wander, and sometimes I think that my mind wanderings make for good blog topics, even if they aren't really that important. At least they're interesting. Hopefully.

One more leaving

Well, in a somewhat surprising turn of events, my other boss, the news director, is now resigning from the station. He says he wants to get out of the business. I can see why though; he was under way too much pressure these past few months with all these new shows and new hirings, and they actually combined two jobs (his and another's) for a sort of omniscient director of news and operations. I think it was way too much for him (or anyone) to handle, and he got really burned out from it.

In retrospect, this is somewhat less surprising than our assistant news director suddenly leaving to go to Eau Claire. In fact, our assistant news director might have gotten the news director job here if he had just stayed a few more weeks.

My biggest fear is that this will spawn even more resignations from the station. A lot of people who work in the newsroom now were brought in because they had some sort of connection with one of these two men, and soon they'll both be gone. I hope this doesn't create the mentality that "if my boss is leaving, maybe I should too."

That's one thing that's a little unattractive about the news business: the somewhat high turnover and the constant shifting. You really have to move around to get where you want to be. Madison is a mid-level market, so while some are comfortable staying here where they are, I'm sure there are still others that want to move up (and out). And I think this station doesn't have the resources to make sure everyone here is happy - many are overworked and underpaid.

With all i've just said, it's kind of interesting to figure out what makes the TV news business so attractive. I don't know if it's the little bit of fame people get from being on camera, the chance to tell stories, the adrenaline rush you get from deadline pressure - but for some reason, there seems to be plenty of people who want to get into it. And I guess I'd say if you really love doing it, keep doing it, and don't let finances bother you. But for me, I probably would discourage my children from going into TV. And that could be the sleep deprivation talking. It's a really tough business, although it can be really rewarding.

I think I've made the right choice in going back to grad school in 2008. I never really thought that TV news would end up being my career, and I sort of fell into it in college. I'm actually surprised I didn't go to grad school right away after undergrad, because I pretty much had always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a professor. I know I've got the brains to do it, and I think it's better that I start moving towards that part of my career sooner rather than later.

It'll be interesting to see what happens in the next few months, both in terms of my job and the jobs of others at the station. Stay tuned.


P.S. I remember why I hate cars so much: I just had to spend more than $600 to fix three things in my car. If I didn't need it, I probably wouldn't use it. And that's just another reason I'd like to move back to campus.

Weekend Live Web page

To those of you I haven't told yet, my show now has its own page on our station's Web site.

You can access it by going here: http://www.nbc15.com/weekendlive

The site features news stories covered on the show, events going on that weekend, information on in-studio guests.

Also, you can see video of live remote and in-studio guests from our show. They're in the "Featured Video" section in the top right. Melissa, our live reporter, does an interview each half-hour during our show, so we splice together her interviews into one video.

This Saturday's live interview (1/27) was one of the best - the Monster Nationals' "Monster Truck and Thrill Show." If you click on "Melissa at Monster Nationals," you'll see "The Tailgator," "Bad Habit," "Lil' Miss Dangerous," and quite possibly the world's fastest recliner chair, the "Cra-zee Boy." You have to see it to believe it.